The Night is Full of Mares
by Miss Lestrade
Summary: Revised again! This story will now be based around three characters and their worst childhood memories and how their pasts come back to haunt them. Just read Please.
1. Chuck 2 AM

_The Night Is Full of Mares_

No spoilers

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis!

_He jumped the stairs two at a time, gasping in delight as he reached the bottom. He threw open the door and his slight form was almost pushed back into the house by a gust of wind. The boy laughed, and grabbing a shovel from the front steps, hopped down the stairs to the front of the house. He spent a few minutes knocking happily at the ice that covered the driveway. Looking up suddenly, he could see the sky darkening slightly. The gray clouds drifted lazily across the sky, covering momentarily the sun. The boy leaned on the shovel. He turned back toward the house to see his dog run out to greet him. The animal jumped up against the boy's legs, licking at his hands. Spotting a squirrel, it landed nimbly on its front paws and dashed for the street. Bam. The car swerved to the side, but hit the dog at its chest, ramming it off the road. Blood smeared the front of the car. The boy dropped the shovel in shock, his young chest falling and rising rapidly, as he ran. The driver of the car sped away, its revving engine sounding eerily loud in the quiet of the street. The boy skidded to a halt, and let out a half sob at the sight of the dog's limp, bloody form. As he reached out to its ruffled fur, the first roll of thunder sounded in the far distance. _

Chuck sat tiredly at the controls, his fingers drumming impatiently on the closed laptop in front of him. He was stuck working late tonight, of course. The other techs sat somewhat like he, their bored faces either in their arms or resting on the laptops in front of the. Chuck checked his watch. 2 am. Nice. He groaned, and one of the other techs snorted. "You could say that again, Chuck." He laughed.

Elizabeth Weir seemed to have a commanding presence about her. So when she strode into the control room, everyone raised their heads blearily. "Ma'am?" Chuck asked, slightly confused. "What are you doing here…so late?" he asked. Elizabeth tilted her head.

"What are you doing here, sergeant?" she asked, giving him a half smile.

"Filling in for a friend." he said. Elizabeth nodded knowingly. "Get some sleep, Chuck." She said.

The Canadian looked at those around him, then began slowly packing up his laptop. Tucking it under his arm, he said a goodnight to everyone and made his way down the stairs. The lights flickered slightly. Not a sound could be heard as he walked through the hallway to his quarters. He was a bit nervous now, the silence was making him edgy. There was a slight buzzing sound as the lights flickered again. His heart wouldn't sit still in his chest. Suddenly, the lights went out altogether. He stopped. Suddenly, a distant scream flowed through the corridor. Chuck's entire body shuddered as the sound enveloped him. He turned and ran back toward the control room, the darkness still heavy around him.


	2. Rodney and John 2 AM

_The Night Is Full of Mares_

No real spoilers

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis!

_"You built an Atomic Bomb?" she yelled, hitting her son on the shoulder. The boy looked up from the book, his ice-blue eyes wide. _

_"It doesn't work…" he tries to explain. "It was just a model!" he wished he could be somewhere else as his mother screeched at him. Soon his father would hear the yelling from upstairs and…The boy shuddered at the though. _

_"Oh, it doesn't work!" the woman cried. "My son built an atomic bomb, but that's OK because it 'doesn't work'!" She reached down and snatched the book away from the boy's hands. He looked up. _

_"No, mom." he said, his voice shaking slightly as he stood up for himself. "It doesn't work and I couldn't make it work if I wanted to!" he yelled. His mother stared at him, as if mystified her son was daring to stand up to her. _

_"How dare you!" she hissed, throwing the book back on the table. "Why, out of all the possibilities, was I stuck with __**you**__?"_ _With that, she ran up_ _the stairs, trying to rid her mind of the boy's shocked face._

Rodney McKay hated not being able to work on what he wanted to, when he wanted to. He was a scientist. No, not only a scientist, a physicist! His work was saving the galaxy here! Grumbling to himself, he typed furiously at his laptop, trying to get the last words in. John Sheppard stood over his shoulder, leaning forward. "Come on, McKay!" he groaned. "Hurry up!"

"Yes, yes, colonel. Or would you prefer… mother?" snapped Rodney, wishing that the man behind him would just leave him alone.

"Carson said you had to be in bed by…oh, four hours ago!" said John, annoyed. Indeed, Carson had been very specific to John. 'Get that lad out of his lab by ten…I don't care if ye drag him out!' Since Rodney had a particularly nasty cold, he was in a worse mood than normal.

"Why don't you go make out with a puddle jumper, or something else one of you flyboys might do? And leave the scientist to his important work!"

"Aw…McKay, I'm hurt." said John, sticking out his lower lip.

"Gah! Stop that! That annoying little voice!" groaned McKay. He hit a few keys on his laptop and then angrily pushed it shut. "Happy, mother?" he said sarcastically.

"Very." replied Sheppard earnestly. McKay didn't bother answering as he snapped of the lights of the lab and made his way out, John following a safe distance behind.

Rodney looked up, a bit nervous, as the lights started flickering a bit. It was dead silent in the hallway, nothing but he and Sheppard's footfalls. Rodney slowed and turned around. "What idiot is at the lighting control?" he said, getting annoyed again. "This place really needs a new electrician!"

"Is the power failing?" asked John, confused. Rodney snorted.

"I doubt it." Suddenly, all of the lights went off completely. "Oh come on!" Rodney groaned, stretching his arms out. Suddenly, and to his horror, he heard a scream. It was ghostly, and sounded strangely disembodied as the sound ricocheted off the walls. Rodney froze, every hair on his neck tingling. "Where did that come from?" he whispered to Sheppard.

"Where did what come from?"

"The scream! What are you, deaf?" hissed Rodney. John was silent.

"McKay, I didn't hear anything." he actually sounded worried. Rodney shivered, turning around completely. He could barely see the faint outline of John behind him, but he was sure that he was frowning.


	3. Carson and Lorne 2 AM

_The Night Is Full of Mares_

No real spoilers

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis!

_The child looked up happily at the wide-open sky in front of him. It stretched on forever…cloudless and perfect. The child leapt down the front steps of his house and walked up to his house's front gate, wrapping his small hands around the wood. He was looking for the neighbor girl, Abigail. She was his best friend, and always had been for as long as he could remember. Craning his neck over the fence, he caught a glimpse of her house. He couldn't see anyone there. Where was Abigail? The boy looked back at the house and ran back in. The warm air of the house was strong in contrast to the cool air outside. "Mum!" the boy called, going into the living room. His mother was there, on the phone, a hand over her mouth. Her delicate fingers held the phone loosely. She put it down with a small "Yes, goodbye." _

_The boy watched her, nervous at her dark expression. "Mum?" he asked. She looked up at him, her face softening with pity. "Sweetheart, Abigail is…sick." _

"_With what, the flu?"_

"_No…they think she has cancer." _

Carson Beckett sat at his desk, tired to the bone. He was stuck doing some late paperwork. He might not have been so annoyed if it was in his own room, but he was also stuck in the infirmary. And besides the paperwork, Lorne was refusing to fall asleep. The stubborn major was in the infirmary overnight for nearly getting strangled by a strange plant off world. Carson stared blankly at the paper, his fried brain not taking in a single word. His mouth tasted dry.

"Oh bugger it all!" he groaned, getting up. He stretched out his back, running a hand through his hair. He was getting Lorne to sleep, then he himself was going into bed. Walking forcefully out of his office, he made a beeline for the major's bed. Lorne even looked nervous at his purposeful approach. "All right, son, are ye ready to go to sleep now?"

"But doc..." Lorne said painfully, "I really don't think…"

"No." said the Highland doctor, cutting him off. "You are going to sleep. Right now. Nurse! Could ye please get the Major a sedative to help him sleep?" The nurse came back with a few pills and placed them on the bedside table.

"Doctor?" the nurse said, stopping in front of Carson. "May I go now? My shift ends in five minutes."

"Aye, love. Ye can go."

"Thank you doctor." she said happily. When she left, Lorne frowned at the emptiness of the infirmary. Only Carson stood beside him, tapping his foot stubbornly. Now the doctor couldn't leave for another five minutes. He sat down on the chair next to Lorne's bed.

"Take the pills, son." he said, pouring a glass of water. While he was doing this, the lights started to flicker slightly. Both men looked upwards, Lorne wincing slightly. "Oh, not now…" Carson groaned, watching the lights go off…then on…

Lorne looked particularly nervous. Well, that part was understandable. The man had nearly been killed by a bloody plant. Suddenly, the lights went off completely. Carson groaned again, while Lorne's breath caught in his chest. It was pitch black in the infirmary, as well as the hall outside. A cold breeze swirled around Beckett's arms, making him shiver. Just then there was a long, eerie scream. A young woman's, it sounded like. Beckett shook, getting up slowly.

"Whoa, doc, where are you going?"

"To find that young lass!"

"What?" yelped Lorne. "What 'young lass'? I didn't hear anything! Wait! I'm not staying here alone, doc. Oh **no**." Carson frowned deeply.

"Bloody hell. Where are ye, Major?" he asked, feeling around. He waved his arm slightly where he though Lorne might be and ended up whacking him in the chest. The major was already sitting up anxiously. Fumbling in the dark, somehow Lorne managed to get out of bed without injuring anything. The two men then carefully picked their way toward the door, the darkness quickly swallowing them.

_Note from the author!_

_Ok. So I know it's been a bit slow, but now the real action is going to start happening. There will not be too many characters in this story, but I felt I picked some nice ones to work with. I'll be updating as soon as I can. _


	4. The Realization

_The Night Is Full of Mares_

No spoilers

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis!

_Chuck sat at his kitchen table, reading his Algebra 1 school book. Not a single word or equation was actually sinking in. Why should it? He really didn't care for math anyway. Besides, what person could possibly concentrate only a few days after their puppy's death? Hi smother sat next to him, her soft brown eyes watching her son. Chuck wished she would stop scrutinizing him like that! He closed the book and looked up. "I'm going outside." he announced. He slid out the front door and quietly sat down on the bottom step of the stairway. He shivered as the winter breeze chilled him. It was only then he realized he'd forgotten a coat. _

Chuck ran back to the control room as fast as he could, but for some reason, he completely lost his sense of direction. He didn't recognize anything around him. Nothing! He skidded to a halt, breathing quickly, his heart beating wildly. He looked around. He could barely see; the darkness seemed to choke out the light from everything, even the windows. He looked down at his feet and saw a slight moving glitter. He lifted his foot and realized it was a puddle of water. The damp, misty smell of this hallway seemed to tell that no one had been down here yet. That was impossible. He hadn't taken any wrong turns, he was sure. And how could an undiscovered hallway be so close to where the main traffic of the city was?

Chuck groaned. Lifting a hand, he felt along the wall, looking for some kind of door. Suddenly, the lights flickered back on. Chuck gasped as he saw the hallway in light. It was definitely unexplored, water covered the ground and upturned dead plants lay across it. The thick air nearly caused him to cough, his lungs unprepared for it.

No. Wait a second. Chuck looked around again. What he saw made him frown deeply. This was the hallway leading to the control room! It was! He recognized the ark ahead, and the whole design. But it was undiscovered? He stared blankly ahead, waiting for himself to wake up from some horrid dream. He walked up farther, finding an open door to his left. _Take it!_ he thought. It was as if he was being drawn to that door.

When he slipped through, he was suddenly bathed in darkness again. He looked around the room, which looked like some kind of laboratory. Suddenly, he gave a startled cry. This could not be happening. Standing in front of him was his childhood dog.

SGA

_Yes, I know this chapter was very short._ _I just really wanted to update with something. So, I will update this with its twin chapter, the next Rodney and John one. So kind of think of it as one bigger story. They'll probably get longer after I get past these chapters of the characters' realizations. _


	5. The Realization II

_The Night Is Full of Mares_

No spoilers

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis!

_Rodney sat alone in his room,_ _cradling a book of physical science in his lap. He stared out the window, the springtime breeze managing to relax him a bit. He had decided that he wasn't coming down. Ever again. He knew that he would need food, so he would just get that when his parents were asleep. They wouldn't care. Hopping off his bed, he put the book back on its shelf and grabbed a book of lateral thinking puzzles. 'Where is the sixth word on this page?' Rodney scanned the page quickly before finding it. "Invisible. Duh." he said to himself. Indeed it was. _

Rodney still refused to move another muscle. Sheppard was still staring at him. "I swear, colonel, I heard someone scream!" Breathing quickly, he felt the need to get away from this spot. Running his hands along the wall, he made his way forward. Sheppard, a bit confused, moved along behind him. He could practically feel the fear and uncertainty radiating off Rodney's back. The scientist obviously would rather be anywhere else.

Rodney looked around the best he could, but the dark seemed to suck up every bit of visibility he had. He walked carefully, and suddenly hit something with his shoe. Water! "Uh…Sheppard?" he whispered. The colonel immediately was at his side.

"What is it?"

"Uh…there's water."

Sheppard squinted down at where Rodney was standing. There actually was water. Interesting. Sheppard tapped his radio, something neither of them had actually thought of yet. All he received, however, was static. "Radios don't work." He announced.

"I think you forget, Sheppard, that we practically ooze bad luck in these situations!" yelped Rodney, although his voice didn't sound very nonchalant. Sheppard's bit of news actually made his stomach drop a few levels very quickly. There was a sudden, clean burst of air. They had reached a balcony. That meant light! They both stumbled out, the moonlight coming out to them. Looking back in the hallway, they both stared. It was if the it had never been discovered. A bit of mold covered the walls, and water and debris littered the floor. It was pretty much the same with the balcony.

The entire city was dark as well. The only light Rodney could see came from the moon. The ocean was completely calm, and no crashing waves could be heard. Then, as if on cue, the lights flickered back to life. "Well, that's good!" said Sheppard. But Rodney wasn't listening. He was staring down at the pier below them. There were people, moving with a ghostly slowness. There were also kids, sitting at small tables, with models and posters. Science fair.


	6. Now THAT Was Unexpected

_The Night Is Full of Mares_

No spoilers

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis!

_Carson attended his friend's funeral with his mother and father. It was a Monday, which made sense to Carson. Abigail hated Mondays. Yes, it made perfect sense. Looking down, the young boy saw a small ant crawling on the ground next to his shoes. Staring at it, he could hear the priest's slow voice in the background. Suddenly, he killed it. He stepped on it. Just like that. When he got home, he threw himself on his bed and cried. He cried for Abby, for himself, and maybe even for the ant. . _

Although he tried to be as silent as possible, he couldn't help feeling that the hammering beating of his heart would give them away. Lorne's breathing was a bit more pained due to his neck, but he seemed as willing as Carson was to be silent. Suddenly, as Carson was rounding a corner, he heard a muffled curse.

"Damn it!" hissed Lorne. Carson turned toward him, a confused, anxious look on his face.

"What?"

"My sidearm, doc. I don't have anything that I could possibly use as a weapon!" The major seemed agitated at this, and he bit his lower lip. "We should go back." He said, his voice taking on a harder, commanding edge. Carson shook his head.

"No, major! Ye can go back, and get yer gun, but I'm staying!" Lorne seemed to flinch a bit at Carson's sudden snap, and he clenched onto the wall a bit harder. There was obviously no way he was leaving Carson alone.

Getting up again, the doctor began to walk quickly down the hallway. "Hello? Anyone?" he called. Lorne grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back.

"Shhh!" he hissed, glaring at Carson incredulously. The other whispered a quick sorry before heading on his way again. The two men ran quickly down the next hallway, one trying desperately to remember where the sound had come from.

Carson was scared. The lights were still off, and it was still extremely dark. The scream, if he remembered correctly, had sounded so familiar. It was as if he knew the girl it had belonged to. He just couldn't place it. He just needed to think harder! Suddenly, the lights buzzed slightly and then came back on. Carson stopped dead in his tracks, and the lack of footsteps told him Lorne had done the same.

The hallway they were in was damp and cold, and white sheets covered the furniture that was there. Also, some 10,000 year old plants that Elizabeth had ordered removed were back. But they weren't so old anymore. Lorne was somewhere between laughing and crying. "What the HELL?" he yelped.

Carson shook his head in shock. "Oh bloody hell…" he whispered, feeling his breaths quicken even more. There was a door in front of them, but it seemed like it was bolted shut. The control crystals were dark and inactive. Lorne slipped past Carson and went up to the door. Still in disbelief, he kicked the door. Then he threw himself against it, earning an angry and worried yell from his companion.

"Major!" yelled Carson, running up to him.

"Yep, it's closed." confirmed Lorne emptily, sinking down to the floor. He sat there, his head resting against the wall. "We should go back now."

As much as Carson hated admitting it, there was definitely something else wrong here. They should get back to the infirmary. Reaching down and pulling Lorne up, Carson looked backward. The hallway they had just come down seemed as if it had never been discovered!

Soon enough, they were running back to the infirmary. Doors and halls they had passed only minutes earlier were bolted shut or broken. Both Carson and Lorne were even more frightened then they had been before. However, Lorne, being in much better shape, reached the infirmary first. He didn't make it in before Carson got there. Frozen at the door, he stared in with eyes as wide as saucers. Carson tentatively looked over his shoulder.

Sitting on the empty floor of the room was a young girl in a fancy pink Sunday outfit, a ribbon visible in her pretty brown hair. She held a doll close to her heart. She looked up at them both and smiled, raising her hand in a small wave.

Abigail.


	7. Reunited And It Feels SoWeird!

_The Night Is Full of Mares_

No spoilers

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis!

Chuck stared into the eyes of his dog. The animal sat calmly, giving himself a small shake. Chuck laughed, not with humor, but with a small hint of lunacy. "This is NOT happening!" he cried, shaking his head. His dog looked on with a bit of confusion, as if sensing his words. Getting up, it padded over to him. Chuck flinched away, but didn't run.

To his shock, the dig laid a paw on his knee. It felt real. The dog then reached up and licked his face. Chuck placed his hands against the dog's chest pushed it back. "Come on, stop." he snapped. Looking around, Chuck decided to start walking. He just turned around and went. Of course, the dog followed him, looking up with pale brown eyes.

SGA

Rodney started hyperventilating when he stared at the science fair people. At first, Sheppard hadn't noticed because he was too busy gaping at the sight below him. Then, turning toward his friend, he saw his face pale and his chest rising and falling rapidly. "Whoa, buddy!" exclaimed Sheppard, steering Rodney back from the edge. Rodney shivered.

"This isn't happening! This isn't happening!" he moaned, shaking his head feverishly. "It's all impossible!" He was about to turn and run when he froze. There was one of the fair judges blocking his way. Rodney cried out, leaping back. Sheppard reached for his weapon, finding it missing. Then, the wizened old judge held something out to them. It was a box covered with old papers.

Rodney reappeared, moving up toward the box. "I know him…and that box." Rodney said quietly to Sheppard. He looked pale, but also weary and…angry. He reached out and took the box. It was real! It sagged in his arms, the weight bringing him down a bit. Sheppard stared at him as the judge disappeared.

Rodney, however, just started walking. "We've got to get out of here," he mumbled. His voice sounded numb, as if he were trying desperately not to believe something.

SGA

Carson and Lorne leapt back from the doorway as the girl stood and began walking toward them. She smiled, holding a teddy bear tucked under one arm. She stood first in front of Lorne, who looked down at her, barely daring to breathe. She patted him on the stomach, and then pushed past him to Carson, who was practically frozen to the wall. She tilted her head, as if to say, 'Remember me?'

Lorne was still busy feeling his stomach where she'd touched him. It was real, she was real. So was her touch. Carson stared at Abigail, and shivered as she reached out to him and took his hand in hers. She them pulled him forward, as little kids sometimes do. Carson resisted, looking back at Lorne.

The major opened and closed his mouth in uncertainty. Abigail then reached back and caught Lorne's hand too. She then started trying to tug them both along. The two men, dumbfounded, allowed her to lead them.

SGA

Chuck heard footsteps. Stopping, he watched as his dog stepped ahead of him, sniffing the ground. Suddenly a young girl, wearing a pink Sunday outfit with long brown hair, appeared from around the corner. Without even having time to think about her, Dr. Beckett and Major Lorne stumbled after her. The both froze when they saw the dog, then, looking upward, saw Chuck.

"Campbell?" asked Lorne, almost laughing in relief.

"Major! Doctor!"

"Oh, lad, please tell me yer actually there."

"What the HELL?"

"Rodney?"

"McKay!"

"Sheppard!"

"Doc!"

"Sir?" Lorne was actually laughing now, steadying himself against the wall. Everyone was standing in a close circle, Rodney hugging the box to his chest. Abigail was playing with Chuck's dog. Everyone watched them, Carson with tears in his eyes. Sheppard was rubbing his head, just looking thankful that they had found others in the same situation.

"Well!" said Rodney. "Who's going first?" Everyone looked at him, confused. Rodney scowled. "Hello? To _explain_?"


	8. Rodney Revealed

_The Night Is Full of Mares_

No spoilers

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis!

Everyone looked around at each other, quite confused. "Okay then," began Rodney. "Since no one is able to explain why we have these things following us, maybe I should go first." He cleared his throat, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "I was just walking along, minding my own business, when my elementary school science project gets handed to me by a long dead science fair judge!" He broke off, panting.

Sheppard stepped forward and placed a hand on McKay's shoulder. He shrugged it off. "No, no, no, colonel! I want to know what's going on! I haven't eaten, slept, or-or…"

"I told you to go to bed when Carson told you to!" yelled Sheppard, glaring at the scientist.

"Ye mean ye didn't?"

"No, I didn't, you voodoo highland sheep-herder!"

"Maybe we should sit down somewhere?"

"What the hell do you know?"

"Hey! McKay, we're all in the same situation as you are, right Sir?"

"Yes, thank you Major!"

"STOP!" screamed Abigail. She looked up at the men, who immediately fell silent. Her eyes were flashing as she tapped her foot. "Why are you fighting? You need to work together to fix this!"

"To fix _what _exactly?"

"MCKAY!" everyone yelled.

"That old piece of technology that you've been studying…" Abigail seemed a bit confused, as if trying to remember.

"How did you-?"

"Abi, what do ye mean?"

"The grumpy one's research…something's wrong."

Lorne stepped up to her. "Does the grumpy one know what it is?" he asked, leaning down.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Rodney, ye bloody git, shut UP!"

Suddenly, Chuck's dog padded up to his master, wagging his tail. He then turned and poked at Rodney's box with his paw. Chuck went up to it, and watched as the dog pawed the top, separating the cover. Chuck helped him, then looked inside. He felt his throat constrict slightly. He stared at Rodney.

"Sir, you do realize that there's a bomb in this box?"

"A bomb…" Rodney repeated, his voice cracking slightly. He suddenly looked ashamed. "It…won't work. It's a model." he finished lamely.

"How do you know?" asked Lorne, looking tense.

"Because I made it, you happy now?" he yelled. Everyone fell silent. It was a silence that felt heavy, that pressed down on one's lungs. Sheppard had known this, but obviously not many others had. Abigail looked at him sadly.

"You were only a few years older than me." She said softly, holding her hands together. Rodney looked lost.

"I think we should all get some rest… I, for one, am exhausted." said Carson, choosing an area of wall to slide down next to. Chuck's dog lay down next to him and put its head on its paws. Chuck sat next to him, his fingers gently stroking his long lost friend's ears. How he'd missed him. Finally, Lorne sat next to Carson, and was both pleased and touched when Abigail sat down next to him. She smiled up at Rodney, while both he and Sheppard sat farther away from everyone else.

"Look, McKay, I know you're upset…"

"No. Stop. Just don't talk." Replied the scientist, his achingly blue eyes sliding down to his hands.

"Why'd you make it anyway?" continued Sheppard, as if not hearing.

"I wanted to see if I could. If it would change my image, I guess…No! Why did I even tell you that! Why?" Rodney was angry with himself.

Sheppard felt a stab of pity for his friend. "So you got in trouble?"

"Yeah. A lot. My mom nearly killed me. But that's how I got noticed…by the Air force." He had a strange smile on his face, and Sheppard could tell he had never really told anyone about this before.

"So, you don't regret it?"

Rodney's expression faltered. "It's hard to know." he said weakly. "I don't think she was ever the same after that."

"Who?"

"My mom." McKay stopped talking.

Sheppard looked at him, with renewed respect. "I'm glad you got noticed, then." he said, smiling.

"You really mean that?"

"Hell yeah! Have you forgotten who's saved our asses over and over again?" Rodney gave a small smile at this. Sheppard patted McKay's back. "It's a thing in the past, buddy."

Suddenly, Rodney faded away; literally. He just disappeared. Sheppard stared at the spot where there'd been an astrophysicist a moment ago. "Uh…guys?" he called. "We might have a problem!"


	9. Blue Jello

_The Night Is Full of Mares_

No spoilers.

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis! Or the movie Flatliners.

When Rodney woke up, he found himself shivering. It took him a moment to figure out why. He noticed that he was lying on a cold metal gurney of sorts, covered with nothing other than a crisp white sheet over his middle. He looked around, and with a gasp of fright, realized he was in the morgue.

Once he got over his initial shock, he looked around. There was Sheppard! "Sheppard!" he called, terrified. The other man was pale and unmoving. "Oh god…oh god…" he moaned, shaking his head. Carson, Lorne, and that nameless technician were here also. Dead! But why wasn't he dead? Had he ever been dead? Why was he here? He looked around again, noticing the shining cleanliness of everything around him, along with the hum of fluorescent lights.

They weren't in old Atlantis anymore! He gave a hysterical laugh, nearly falling off the table. He wrapped the white sheet around himself as he got up. Radio! He thought. Find radio, Rodney! But he couldn't find anything, not even his clothes. So he kept the sheet. Walking to the doorway, he willed it open and peeked out. It was mostly dark outside; perhaps it was the middle of the night.

Biting his lip, Rodney quickly ran away toward his room. "Jesus!" he moaned, "These floors are freezing!" He'd never walked barefoot in Atlantis hallways before. Suddenly, he stopped. He could hear footsteps. A woman walked around the hallway, a laptop held in her arms. She adjusted her glasses and looked up. Rodney knew it was coming before it happened. With a high-pitched scream of terror, she dropped the laptop and it banged and crunched on the ground. She ran, giving another scream as she ran. Rodney shivered, his ears ringing.

Then he noticed the laptop, sitting on the ground. Looking around and adjusting his sheet, Rodney ran to pick it up. Holding it by the edge of the screen, he ran for his room. The sheet nearly slipped from his waist several times in his haste, and he was extremely grateful no one was around.

He finally made it to his door. OPEN! He thought desperately. It did, and he ran in. When he turned on the lights, he was mildly surprised to find his room exactly how he'd left it. Wow. They must've really missed him. He thought once again of everyone in the morgue. They would surely come back, wouldn't they? He did. But what about old Atlantis and those visions they'd all been having? Rodney groaned.

After taking a shower and getting changed, he felt much better. His head was clearer as well. Let's see. Zelenka! I need to find Zelenka, he decided. He was about one foot out of his room when he ran into Ronon. The bigger man stood, frozen, a look of shock on his features. But then, before Rodney even had time to utter his name, Ronon grabbed his neck and shoved him up against the wall.

"Who are you?" he growled, as McKay gasped for air.

"It's me… who else?" choked Rodney, swinging his legs out. "Let…go…you…caveman!" he said desperately.

"What kind of jell-o do you eat?"

"WHAT?!" cried McKay. Ronon's arm got tighter. "Ok! Ok! Blue! It's blue! Happy?" he gasped. Ronon let him go, a look of hope on his face. "You could've killed me! What the hell! I mean, I like strangling innocents as much as the next guy, but come on!" Rodney sputtered, rubbing his neck.

"You were dead." Ronon said plainly. Rodney's face fell. He'd been dead. Of course. Suddenly, Ronon grinned and smacked him on the back, nearly pitching Rodney into the wall. "You're alive!" he said, chuckling.

"No! Really?" said Rodney, voice dripping with sarcasm. He still needed to find everyone. "Look, give me your radio. Please." Ronon did.

Five minutes later, a batch of armed marines showed up, followed by a stunned Elizabeth Weir, a tearful Teyla, and a very pale Zelenka. Elizabeth walked shakily up to Rodney, holding her breath. "How is this possible?" she whispered.

"I don't know! Sorry. Look, all I do know is that Sheppard, Lorne, Carson, and…and…Campbell! That's it! Campbell!"

"McKay!"

"Sorry! We somehow got transferred back to Atlantis! Er…Atlantis at 10,000 years ago where we…uh…had these visions, or saw these ghost things of dead people. Um, our worst memories. I think." He broke off, rubbing his head. "God, I need coffee." he whimpered.

------------------

Sheppard felt the air tentatively where McKay had been as Lorne jumped up. "Uh…where's McKay?" the major asked to no one, looking around.

"He disappeared."

"What was that now, lad?"

"He disappeared! Vanished! Poof!" yelled Sheppard, waving his arms around to illustrate his point.

"Uh, sir? The box's gone too." added Chuck, standing.

"Ah, crap." moaned Beckett, putting a hand over his eyes. Abigail stood, smiling.

"He made it! He did it!" she said happily, clapping her hands. Sheppard frowned, and tried to explain.

"He'd just finished telling me about his bomb, when he just vanished!"

"He's gone back home." supplied Abigail, as if the men already knew that. There was a few seconds of heavy silence, and then a cry of…

"This is just like that movie, _Flatliners_!" yelped Lorne incredulously.

Sheppard gaped at Abigail. This was going to be interesting.

TBC

Note time!

I feel like I'm actually getting somewhere in this story now, which is good. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to review! Oh, by the way, for those who don't know…_Flatliners_ is this really hot movie with a young Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, and Kevin Bacon. It's about these med school students who want to see what happens to you after you die, so they do this experiment where one is clinically dead for a minute or so and then the others bring them back. But then they begin to be haunted by their past sins, and it's really awesome! I highly suggest it.


	10. Keep Going Left

_The Night if Full of Mares_

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis

NO spoilers

"So…he just…disappeared?"

"Yes."

"Disappeared?"

"Yes!"

"Disappeared…" continued Carson, rubbing his chin. Sheppard suddenly felt the need to throttle him.

"Yes." he seethed, clenching his fists. Abigail sat between them, looking from one man to another. Lorne was busy knocking on the walls and trying to find seams from hidden doors.

"Uh, sir, I've been wondering. Why are we here?" Everyone turned toward the major. "I mean, everyone else has had some sort of vision relating to their pasts, but we haven't." Sheppard contemplated this. The major was right. He nodded in agreement.

"I don't know, Lorne." he admitted. "But I sure as hell want to find out." Sheppard was getting uncharacteristically snappy now, and Beckett exchanged a look with Abigail. Chuck, who had remained silent for quite some time, suddenly spoke up.

"Castle!" he called. Sheppard and Lorne turned to him, blinking in confusion.

"Huh?" said Lorne. "What castle?" Chuck shook his head.

"What? No! My dog…his name is Castle." He explained, looking nervous. "He's not here!" Chuck was right. The dog was nowhere to be seen. Abigail stood up. She pointed down the hallway that they had come from.

"I think he went down there." she said. Chuck nodded. Without another word, he started off down the hall. Sputtering protests after him, Carson followed.

Lorne looked at his CO. "Should we go with them?" Finding nothing better to do, Sheppard agreed. So they went, Abigail trailing along behind.

Chuck reached the end of the hall, peeking around a corner. It really didn't look so dark anymore. There were two ways to go, however. Biting his lip, he looked both left and right. Which way? Carson was standing behind him, and Abigail was at his side. Sheppard and Lorne were behind them. "Let's try left." Chuck said.

"What?" asked Lorne.

"He said go right." said Abigail. She gave them a smile, and pulled Carson along behind Chuck.

"Right?" questioned Sheppard, watching his companions go left. Lorne shrugged.

"Someone has to go right."

"Right. I mean…yeah. God I hate this place!" Sheppard growled, heading right. Lorne gave a hollow laugh.

"Me too, sir."

Chuck sighed, his legs aching. They had been walking for about an hour now, and no one knew where Sheppard and Lorne had gone. They decided to just keep making left turns. They had also left a note a while back, saying 'keep going left'. It was lucky that Carson had an old post-it note in his pocket.

"I don't know what to do." he moaned. Carson nodded sympathetically.

"So…what happened?" he asked. Chuck turned around.

"What do you mean?"

"With yer dog…why are you two here?" he hoped that he didn't sound offensive.

"When I was a kid…he was hit by a car. I guess I never forgot that." He gave a bitter sigh. "I didn't really like dogs after that. I didn't trust them. I had lots of cats, though." Carson bit his lip. Why had he insisted on bringing up this subject?

"I like cats." he said awkwardly. Chuck actually laughed.

"I guess it was stupid of me." He admitted. "I really do like dogs. I just was afraid it might happen all over again." Carson swallowed uncomfortably. Chuck groaned and put a hand over his eyes.

"I didn't want him to go without saying goodbye first." the technician said, his voice slightly muffled. "I wish I could've." he sighed, letting his hand fall. Barely after he said that, Castle poked his head around the corner. He ran up to his owner and nearly knocked him over. Chuck, shocked, stared at him. He could have sworn the dog had just smiled at him. _Smiled_. And that's when he disappeared. Both Castle and Chuck were gone.

Carson winced. "Ah, crap!"

Rodney sat in the morgue, staring at the four bodies there. He sighed, clutching his laptop. He couldn't figure this out. He'd woken up, so why hadn't they? Seeing his friends lying dead on the table was starting to discourage him. He started thinking that they might not come back. This always made him panic. Rubbing his eyes violently, he checked his watch. Another sleepless night.

Suddenly, the technician's body moved. Rodney nearly dropped the laptop. Quickly setting down on the stool, he jumped down. His legs nearly gave out, and he made a mental promise to himself never to sit there for two hours straight again. Sure enough, Campbell was alive! Rodney shivered as he leaned over the table. Chuck pried his eyes open, blinking furiously against the light.

"McKay?" he asked hoarsely.

"Yes! Yes! You're back!" the physicist yelped excitedly, placing his hands on Chuck's pale shoulders. The technician looked around, taking mental note of everything. His eyes widened as he realized where he was.

"Why…?"

"I'll explain later! Get up! No! Scratch that. Clothes. You need clothes!" he said to himself. "You do NOT want to do what I did…" he muttered. Tapping his radio, he called Elizabeth.

"There." he said finally, after explaining. Rodney turned back to Chuck, who was staring at him, looking a bit nervous. "What?" Rodney asked defensively. "At least I'm not beating the crap out of you for your favorite kind of jell-o!" he snapped. Chuck blinked confusedly. This was strange.

Notes! Ok, I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner. You see, I was away for a few days, and then when I got back, the guy who was supposed to fix the computer wiped the whole thing clean. I lost all of my documents and everything. So, after crying my eyes out, I realized I should probably update.


	11. One Long Week

_The Night if Full of Mares_

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis

NO spoilers

Warning! This chapter's even shorter than normal. But, to make it up to you, I'll start writing later today.

-----SGA-----

The heat was really bothering Chuck. He sat with his hands folded in his lap in front of Elizabeth's desk. After an embarrassingly long medical examination, he'd finally been given clothing and something to eat. But it felt so warm in Weir's office! Perhaps it was just because of old Atlantis being so damp and chilly.

"Chuck!" sighed Elizabeth as she half ran into the office. She had a barely controlled smile on her face. "I can't believe it, first Rodney….now you!" Her eyes were full of hope. Chuck smiled back.

"It's really nice to be back, ma'am." he said. But secretly, the technician was itching to get his mountain of questions answered. "What exactly happened to us?"

"I don't know." Elizabeth admitted, tilting her head. "But I have Dr. Zelenka working on it now." Chuck bit his lip slightly. "What about McKay?" he asked automatically.

"Ah, yes. Dr. Keller is forcing him to sleep for a while. He's been up for over thirty hours!" Chuck twitched.

"Thirty ma'am?" he repeated, trying to think back. A lot of what had happened in old Atlantis was fading. He was, however, sure that Rodney had not been gone that long. "Well, how long were we gone?"

"A week."

------SGA-----

Sheppard looked sideways at Lorne. They had no idea where Carson was, or where they were. Sheppard looked ready to kill something, so Lorne just tried to avoid him. He really wished he had a weapon._ Really_ wished. Suddenly, Sheppard stopped walking. He looked around, his mop of spiky hair reflecting light form a window. Lorne blinked and nearly started laughing. It looked so big! He clutched his stomach, trying to cut off his snorts of laughter.

Sheppard turned around to stare at the major. He frowned. Lorne was nearly doubled over in laughter. Sheppard put his hands on his hips, looking ludicrously girly. "What's so funny?" he asked, his mind feeling a bit fuzzy. "I…don't…know!" Lorne managed to finally gain control of himself.

Lorne was a bit scared now. Sheppard's hair really wasn't anything humorous. Why had he been laughing? He suddenly felt a pang in his stomach. God, he was starving… and thirsty, too. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before! Sheppard winced, putting a hand over his own stomach.

"Did you feel it too?" he asked.

"The sudden-hunger-pain?"

"And…water-needing-pain…" Sheppard added. Lorne's mouth twitched. _Water-needing pain…_he thought. He was then laughing once more. Sheppard joined him, banging on the wall with his fists.

Carson breathed a sigh of relief. He'd finally found Lorne and Sheppard! "Lads!" he called, running toward them. Abigail followed, holding her dress down. However, Carson froze when he got close enough to really see them. They were practically on the ground, leaning on each other and stumbling around blindly. Lorne was gasping endlessly, and Sheppard was nearly pitching forward with strange spasms. Blood trickled from the corner of the major's mouth, and Sheppard looked ready to collapse.

Carson stared for a moment, too shocked to move. Then, he was pushed forward by Abigail. "They're sick, Carson!" she wailed. She sounded afraid. Beckett approached them, holding out his hands.

"Come on, lads." He moaned. "Stay still."

"C-Ca-arson!" Sheppard hiccupped, looking incredibly drunk.

"What's…wrong….w-with ussss?" gasped Lorne.

Carson noticed that the strange spasms running through the colonel's body were laughs. So were Lorne's gasping sounds. However, looking into their eyes, Carson found pure terror. He quickly maneuvered Lorne to lean against his shoulder, as Sheppard had the wall. He then got them both to sit down, which took quite a bit longer than he had expected.

His mind and heart racing, Carson knelt beside Lorne, tilting the major's head up. "Open your mouth, son." He said quickly. Lorne couldn't comply. Carson, wincing, pried it open. Lorne's mouth was flecked with blood. Examining his lips, Carson realized that the blood was coming from the side of his mouth. Thank God. No internal bleeding. But his larynx was probably getting one hell of a beating…

It was the same with Sheppard. Carson had no idea what was wrong with them. And then, quite suddenly, it stopped. They just stopped laughing. Their chests heaved, taking in much needed air. Lorne coughed, wincing. Sheppard rubbed his neck.

"Okay," hissed Lorne. "This…is…getting weird."

------SGA------

Rodney snored, drooling all over his pillow. It was a good dream. He was eating ice cream, and cake, and pie, and more cake…but wait! Abigail's face suddenly appeared in the middle of his pudding bowl. Screeching, he dropped it.

"_The grumpy one's research…something's wrong…." _

Gasping, Rodney awoke. He groaned, looking at the bedside clock. 2 AM. _Great, _he thought. _Now I can't sleep._ Throughout the few minutes it took him to get dressed, he kept thinking about what Abigail had said.

"There's nothing wrong with my research!" he scoffed to himself. But it couldn't hurt to check. Off to see Zelenka!

------SGA------

Notes

Okay, I know this story is moving really slowly and I know the chapters are way too short. But I just want to let everyone know, no matter how slow this may go I always finish my stories!


	12. Misunderstanding

_The Night if Full of Mares_

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis

A/N: This is where I make it weird! evil laugh Prepare yourselves.

No spoilers.

**Character death…but don't worry. wink**

-----SGA-----

Lorne sat with his back against the wall. He kept drifting off to sleep, but he would refuse rest. He would pick himself up again, poking his arm endlessly. Yawning widely, he looked down at Sheppard and Beckett. He'd been watching them sleep for the past two hours. Since he was the lowest rank here, he'd volunteered to keep watch first.

Looking to his right, he squinted at a dark shape on the floor next to him. His sidearm! Picking up the weapon, his heart leapt. Now they weren't defenseless anymore! He scuttled over to his CO's side. Poking him in the shoulder, Lorne whispered his name. "Sheppard!"

"Wha-?" mumbled Sheppard, blinking slowly. His eyes widened as they fell on Lorne's gun.

"Sir! I just found it...over there." Lorne gestured with his free hand.

"Uh-huh." said Sheppard quietly. Without warning, he leapt up and launched himself at the major. Lorne had about a millisecond to prepare. He tensed, heart racing, and ducked down. However, the force of Sheppard's wiry yet strong frame hitting his chest knocked the breath out of him.

"What…the hell…are you doing?" Lorne gasped as he scrambled up. Sheppard's eyes followed him, dangerous and paranoid.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing!" Lorne cried, yanking Carson out from his sleep. The doctor mumbled something, looking around. That's when Sheppard dove at Lorne again. The colonel's hands found their way to his neck. Lorne, letting go of all military code, lashed out as hard as he could with his leg. Sheppard cried out, letting go.

The two men threw each other against the wall, but Sheppard managed to force Lorne down farther and farther. Giving him a vicious kick to the ribs, he watched in satisfaction as Lorne yelped in pain. Carson, who had been trying to break them up, had repeatedly gotten shoved aside by both. Lorne would yell, _"Don't, doc! You'll get hurt!" _Sheppard, on the other hand, would yell, _"You too? You're betraying me too!"_

Beckett screamed as hard as he could. "STOP!"

This caught Sheppard's attention, and he stopped throwing kicks at Lorne. The major groaned and pulled into himself. The gun lay forgotten some feet off. Sheppard blinked at the doctor, whose eyes were wide and gleaming with anger and fear. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" he cried, shaking.

Carson flinched suddenly as Sheppard began advancing toward him instead. His eyes were wild and almost non-human. "You." he said accusingly, leaping at Carson. Then, before the doctor had a chance to react, Sheppard's hands were closed around his neck. He couldn't breath at all…he was being crushed. His eyes tried to reach the colonel's, begging.

For a moment, Carson managed to throw him off. This was all that was needed. Bang! Everyone was silent, shocked, as the sound reverberated through the hallway. Sheppard looked down at himself in shock. Dark, oily liquid began to run down his chest, straight from his heart. He gaped for a moment before falling over, limbs twitching. He gasped once and went still. His eyes glazed over, but didn't close.

Carson looked up in utter shock, his heart feeling as if it had stopped. Lorne stood at the other end of the wall, his arms still raised. He also stared in shock, his hands shaking as he dropped the gun. "He was killing you…I had to…I couldn't…" he whispered, his eyes brimming with tears. Lorne's legs finally gave in, and he slid down the wall in a haze.

Beckett looked down at his friend. He was dead. He couldn't be dead. He hadn't been himself, he didn't deserve to die! But Carson just felt numbness. This couldn't be happening. This whole thing was…wrong. How could it be real? He turned his gaze to Lorne. He couldn't blame the major…he only did what he was trained to do.

Beckett reached out and touched Sheppard's hair. Spiky; just like it'd always been. Closing the colonel's eyes with shaking hands, Carson then turned to Lorne again. The major's head was resting on his knees, which were drawn up to his chest. He'd pushed the gun away, and it lay a few feet away, spinning eerily on its side.

Carson reached out to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Lad?" he whispered, trying to battle conflicting feelings of anger and sympathy. Lorne pulled away, trying to lift himself up. He failed miserably and fell back, gasping in agony. Carson quickly

grabbed him, pushing the major against the wall. "Hold still." He instructed blankly, nudging his arms out of the way. Deaf to Lorne's small protests and noises of pain, Beckett ran a hand along his chest, feeling a few broken ribs. Sheppard had really done a number on him.

A few hours later, Carson had finally managed to get Lorne to sleep, after they had both carried Sheppard's body out to a balcony. Lorne had barely made there before he felt an urgent need to throw up…again.

Abigail had remained eerily quiet throughout the entire day. She either sat by Sheppard's body or Lorne, switching every hour or so. She would sit right up against the major, her small hands on his arm. Then she would go to Sheppard, running a hand over his hair, or holding his hand.

While Lorne slept, she took a seat next to Carson. "Do you hate him?" she asked, playing with the folds of her dress. Carson almost wanted to say yes, but he wasn't sure of anything anymore. He'd thought about it all day, wondering why Lorne couldn't have just disabled him.

"He didn't think." supplied Abigail, as if reading his mind. "He couldn't see, either. When you threw John off, he just pulled the trigger." Abigail broke off sadly. "He's really upset."

Carson nodded. He knew she was right. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't Sheppard's either. It was this place; this sunken Atlantis. Carson looked around. "Why are we here, Abigail?" he whispered, locking his gaze on her. She sighed. "You have to face your regret." she said simply.

"My regret?"

"Yes. Me."

------SGA-----

Lorne opened his eyes. He heard the voices of Carson and Abigail in the background. His stomach knotting, he felt tears stinging at his eyes again. He tried to concentrate on sleeping, but of course it wouldn't happen.

Lorne slowly sat up, going unnoticed by Carson. He eyed the gun on the floor. Something was clicking inside his brain. _Was this all real? How could it be? What would happen if he…shot himself? _The idea was almost appealing. He had no use here, so why not? He could experiment. But what if it was real? What if he did die? He guessed it wouldn't really matter. Who would forgive him for killing everyone's favorite guy around Atlantis?

Picking up the gun, he looked it over. Lorne clicked the safety off. Looking over at Carson, he called out. "Beckett!" The doctor turned, and his eyes widened. He gaped at Lorne, sliding back against the wall. Oh! Carson thought he was trying to kill him! "I wouldn't kill you." he said calmly. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. It should've been me. I hope you get back."

Carson's mind reeled when he realized what Lorne had in mind. "No!"

**Bang. **

TBC…

-------------------------

A/N: Uh-oh. Cliff hanger! _Are Sheppard and Lorne really alive? What will happen to Carson? What is going on here?!_

Do not worry, my good friends. All will be revealed.


	13. Departure

_The Night if Full of Mares_

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis

No spoilers.

-----SGA-----

Rodney yawned widely, reaching blindly for his coffee mug. Zelenka pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and tapped his fingers on the desk. "You know…" he began.

"No, no!" Rodney interrupted, wagging a finger at the other scientist. "Don't speak." Zelenka scowled, pursing his lips.

"I only think that…"

"No!" Rodney snapped, his voice an annoyed whine. "I won't go back to bed!"

"You have been awake since…"

"Ahaha! Stop!"

"Gentlemen?" asked a new voice. Both scientists jumped, Rodney cursing under his breath.

"Elizabeth!" he said, holding a hand over his chest. "Couldn't you have knocked or something?" muttered Rodney. Elizabeth sighed exasperatedly.

"The door was open."

"Oh."

---------

Chuck had wanted to go back to work, but Weir had forbidden it. She kept saying he needed rest, but he felt fine! He sat in the infirmary, waiting for Dr. Keller. He was about to sit through his third examination. Rodney had been complaining that he'd gotten about five. They'd sat through numerous scans and numerous prodding sessions.

Chuck, unbearably bored, leaned over and took a latex glove from the drawer. Grinning childishly, he put it to his mouth and blew it up. He still loved doing that. Tying the new balloon with nimble fingers, he thought of what to do with it. A nurse was eyeing him disdainfully, but he ignored her.

He tapped it up and down, keeping it in the air above his head. "Mr. Campbell." said Dr. Keller, making the technician jump. He caught the glove and looked at the woman standing next to him.

"Um…hi."

"Hello." she said, smiling.

---------------

Carson sat in total silence. He'd moved Lorne's body to the same balcony that held Sheppard's. He didn't know what to do. He was alone in this godforsaken place, and he really didn't want to be. Abigail wasn't so sure of herself anymore. She didn't know what had happened to everyone.

"I'm sorry." she said, sniffing.

"It's not yer fault." replied Carson, rubbing his eyes. The doctor's thoughts began to drift back to his childhood. He remembered the quaint antique stores they used to like going into, and the chocolate shops. He smiled.

"What're you smiling about?"

"I'm just remembering when we were wee children." Carson mused. "We would spend hours playing hide and seek around town." Abigail smiled tearfully, nodding.

"I do too. I miss it so much." she whispered.

Carson put his hand on her shoulder. "I've missed you as well."

Abigail looked straight at him. "It wasn't your fault that I died, you know." she announced, taking Carson by surprise. He was silent for a moment. He'd sometimes felt that it was his fault. He'd thought by playing out in the winter, he'd somehow given Abigail her death. It was absurd, but it'd been planted in the back of his mind.

"I know." he admitted, his thoughts jumbled up in his head. "I just found it easier to blame myself rather than you." Abigail let out a small sob, latching onto Carson's shirt.

"I-I love y-you." she cried. "I'll always miss y-you!" Before Carson had a chance to react, he blacked out.

------------------

It felt as if he had been slammed into a wall. Lorne groaned, trying to catch his breath. He felt cold, and strangely light. Steeling himself against the brightness surrounding him, he opened his eyes. He was in Atlantis! Well, a new Atlantis. The walls shimmered and danced with afternoon light, and the hum of the city was quiet yet present.

Lorne picked himself up, glancing down at his feet. He was in civilian clothes. He felt his neck, expecting pain but feeling completely normal. He also felt a warm breeze from his left. A window as open, and the warm salt air flooded his senses. It was pure joy.

"Major?" said a shocked voice. Lorne nearly choked. Swiveling around, he got a pretty nice close up of a pair of wide hazel eyes.

TBC...

-------

A/N: Ok. I know this was really short, but I needed to get something up, right? I hope this basically explains what's going to happen in the next chapter. :) Please review!


	14. That was NOT funny

_The Night if Full of Mares_

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis

No spoilers.

-----SGA-----

Lorne bit his lip, blinking at Sheppard carefully. The colonel stared back at him.

"So…"

"Ahem…"

"Yeah…Did you see that dress Jennifer Aniston was wearing at the Oscars?"

"You mean the pink one?" yelped Lorne, his eyes going all glassy.

"YEAH!" screeched Sheppard, sounding ludicrously girly.

"OMG! Lyk soo kewl!111!! LOLZ!;;..;" Lorne giggled, jumping up and down. Sheppard joined him.

The end.

(just kidding)

I should have the real chapter up by tomorrow. I just needed a way to let you know I hadn't abandoned this story.


	15. Weir Ruined The Story

_The Night if Full of Mares_

I do not own Stargate: Atlantis

No spoilers.

I've had an epiphany. I KNOW where I'm going to end the story! I'm afraid, folks, that this is the last chapter. Don't hate me for it.

-----SGA-----

Sheppard groaned, pulling himself off the floor. He winced, rubbing his chest. He felt nothing. Not like painless nothing, but really nothing. He could barely feel his chest. He couldn't really see it either. The light where he was standing was dim, and gentle moonlight fluttered about the silvery room. He felt at peace.

Sheppard blinked. The last he remembered was sleeping. He had been dreaming about Jennifer Aniston…but no. That was just a dream. Sighing, he tried to rub his eyes, but he couldn't feel them. So he gave up. He looked around again, taking in what he felt. He could feel the breeze, he could smell the sweet salt on the air, but he couldn't see or feel his own body.

This was weird. Suddenly, there was another flash of light. He was no longer standing in the silvery room, but he was now in a nicely lit hallway. The walls looked alive as they danced with splashed of gold and red. It was a warm, peaceful afternoon. Now this was really confusing. He wasn't in old Atlantis anymore. He was in new Atlantis!

"Yes!" he cried, rushing to the window. He looked down at himself, and was overjoyed to actually see his pants and shoes. But wait. He was dressed in jeans, Converse sneakers, and a Rolling Stones T-shirt. Sheppard blinked confusedly. Yeah, that couldn't be good. Suddenly, he saw Lorne.

------SGA------

Carson awoke to a yelp of fright. Snapping his eyes open, he was nearly blinded by a light over his head. Groaning, he turned to face the noise. To his utter shock and joy, it was Teyla. Rodney was standing beside her, looking hopeful. She gasped, and then ran over to him.

"Doctor Beckett! I am so glad! You have awoken!" Smiling widely, she placed a hand on his cheek.

Carson was in shock. He was back! Finally! "Aye, lass, I'm glad to see ya!" he cried, laughing. Still grinning, Teyla's face became a bit more serious.

"Did you see Major Lorne? Or Colonel Sheppard?" she asked, placing a delicate hand on the doctor's shoulder. Carson went pale. He'd forgotten about everything! Looking around wildly, he spotted Sheppard and Lorne lying in beds in the infirmary. It was where he was too, of course. He opened and closed his mouth, looking wide-eyed at Rodney. The physicist suddenly seemed tired; there were dark circles under his eyes. The joy of seeing Carson had slowly faded from his face.

"Yes…we were all together…but…"

"What? I don't like that 'but', Carson! What happened?"

"Sheppard."

"God, what?"

"He…well, had some kind of psychotic episode." finished Carson lamely. McKay stared at him.

"I knew it would be bad." He whispered, sitting on the edge of the doctor's bed. Teyla blinked.

---------SGA----------

It was 2 AM. Rodney sighed, rubbing his face with his palm. He'd been trying to figure out what Abigail had meant since he got back. She'd said something had been wrong with his research. But what? He'd checked everything. Chuck sat in the room with him. Rodney had protested his presence nonstop, snappy and annoyed.

Suddenly, McKay leapt up. "I got it!" he cried, looking wild with excitement. "I know what's wrong! I think I know how to get them back!" he laughed out loud, grinning from ear to ear.

"Great, how?" asked the technician.

"Chuck."

"What?" said Chuck, turning expectantly toward Rodney.

"Chuck!"

"What?" he said again, slightly confused.

---------SGA-------

"Chuck!" Weir gently called again, leaning over the sleeping technician. Sighing, she checked her watch. 2 AM. Nice. She looked sideways at Major Lorne, who was yawning widely. He rubbed his hair, feeling just plain grumpy that he'd been woken up at 2 in the freakin' morning. He reached forward and poked Campbell in the back. When that didn't work, Lorne scowled. He shoved.

"Major!" protested Weir.

"WHA-!" Chuck yelped, bolting upright in his chair. He looked around blearily, blinking at the two people in front of him.

"C'mon, there's something wrong with the electrical system…the lights keep flickering. Or something…" muttered Lorne, yawning again.

Suddenly, Sheppard slid into the control room, looking exasperated. Rodney followed him, complaining at the top of his lungs. "What, and Dr. Zelenka Butter Fingers couldn't do this?" he cried, corner of his mouth twitching in anger.

"McKay…shut. Up. After all…" Sheppard smirked. "It's Zelenka's day off."

"WHAT?" screeched McKay.

"Christ, keep it down!" groaned Lorne, sitting in the nearest available chair.

Chuck, however, was nearly deaf to all of their talking. He was thinking; marveling at the dream he'd been having. It had seemed so real! He grinned. He remembered something about a little girl…and Lorne….and Sheppard. Beckett too! But it had been more like a nightmare. He shuddered slightly, but was relieved when he once again looked at Sheppard. They were all fine.

He remembered that Rodney had been about to reveal the secret to the entire thing. "Damn." He muttered. He hated when dreams ended before you found out what happened.

"Hey! You! Er…um…Campbell!" Rodney called. "City map! Now." The scientist snapped his fingers annoyingly.

"Yes, sir." said Chuck, sighing under his breath. The memory of the dream was already fading in his mind.

_The End_

Epilogue

So…life on Atlantis went on as usual. Rodney was still annoying, Sheppard was still gleeful, Chuck was still stuck in the background, Lorne was still…well, normal, and Beckett was happy. But these people all had one thing in common. On the night of September 8th, they stayed up all night bugging the crap out of each other and the electrical system. And somehow, they all felt a bit closer to each other than they did on the 7th.

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Author's Note: Ok, so I know the end was kind of sudden. I'm sorry, but I think that the way it ended was very fitting. Thanks for reading! hugs and kisses


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